Future UNCW Seahawk Nolan Hodge reaches 1,000 career points
GREENSBORO, N.C. — In July of this year, Northern Guilford guard Nolan Hodge decided to continue his student athlete career at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW). While his commitment came prior to his senior year, Hodge has remained focused on his current season.
Instead of looking ahead to his future at UNCW, Hodge is still proving his talent as a basketball player, and especially as a scorer. Hodge is still reaching milestones after his college decision. Last week, Hodge reached 1,000 points scored in his high school career.
Reaching 1,000 points speaks to Hodge’s ability as a score at a prolific rate. He has the rare trait of being a pure scorer. Putting the ball in the basket comes easy for him, and he can do it at all three levels. His athleticism allows him to finish at the rim, and his length allows him to shoot over defenders in the mid-range and beyond the three-point line.
Hodge acknowledges that he has always had an ability to score but has evolved as a scorer.
“I have always been able to shoot but that is really all I did at first,” he said. “Once I developed my athleticism and ball handling, I took it to another level.”
Instead of limiting himself to simply a jump shooter, Hodge has grown his game into the three-level scorer that he is now. Being able to hone his athleticism and refine his skills has given him the ability to score from anywhere on the court. That makes Hodge tough to defend and proves why he is getting the opportunity to play at the next level.
His evolution as a scorer has propelled him to reach the milestone of 1,000 career points.
“When I scored, through my mind it was just joy,” he said when asked what it was like to reach that milestone.
That moment of joy comes from Hodge aiming for 1,000 points early in his career. He said that since his freshman year, he had a goal of scoring and reaching that milestone and admitted that finally getting there was truly exciting.
Hodge reached this milestone early in his senior season as well, getting there in only eight games this year. While breaking the scoring record at Northern Guilford is out of reach for Hodge, he still has the change to grow his scoring total. The Nighthawks have fourteen more games left in their season, giving Hodge a chance to build on the 1,000 points he has already scored.
Furthermore, Hodge can grow his point total while leading a winning Northern team. They are 6-3 through their first nine games and 2-1 in the first of their three conference games. While he has the chance to continue to grow his scoring total, he can also play for a conference championship with his team.
While Hodge is a great scorer, his success as an individual and his contributions to the success of Northern Guilford are not dependent on that alone. He is a complete player in all aspects of the game. The same work ethic that made him an elite scorer influences the rest of his game.
“I think my rebounding has improved a lot as of recent, and my passing,” he said when asked about the other aspects of his game.
He has not only honed his athleticism and length to improve his scoring, but his ability to go chase rebounds. That can close a defensive possession or give his team an extra possession on offense.
When it comes to being a high-level passer, Hodge can create shots for others, but also shows his selflessness as a basketball player. Given his natural ability to score, Hodge could take every shot, but he chooses not to.
“I try not to force shots if I don’t need to,” he said.
Hodge understands that he needs his team to win, and that despite his skill, he is careful how he uses it.
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